A new era for athletics club

Corby Athletic Club is celebrating the dawn of a new era after being awarded a funding boost of more than £30,000 to revamp its facilities.

Landfill firm Wren has given £34,415 to the club so it can refurbish its club room, kitchen facilities and weights room.

The club, which hopes the new facilities will be used by the wider community, plans to get work started as soon as possible to allow a celebration in the club room, marking the start of the Olympic Games.

Carol Boyd, who put together the bid for the club with member Maggie Mulholland, said: “We had a lot of support from the community, even some from doctors saying the facility would help the situation with obesity and getting more people involved in sport.

“The club room has been stuck in the 1970s. It’s a shame, we have wonderful facilities, a beautiful track but the club room lets it down. Corby Town have a new facility and we hope we can be as good as them. It’s embarrassing taking visitors to the club room – it would be nice to be proud to take visitors to the club room. We’re really excited about it.”

It will form part of a £42,000 project which the club, based at Rockingham Triangle, raised £7,000 for, and work is due to begin in May.

Bill Boyd, the club’s senior coach, also welcomed the news. He said: “We are extremely pleased we have a fantastic facility but there are some parts that let it down and need bringing in to the modern era and now we are able to and it can’t come quickly enough.”